Upcoming Events

The Evolution of African Visuality in Cuban Art: A talk by Raul Ruiz Miyares

Join Raul Ruiz Miyares for a talk on the African presence in Cuba and its’ influence in regard to its representation in art. During the colonial period in Cuba, the first painters were descendants of Africans who recreated images of virgins, saints, and sacrifices. With time, the art evolved to depict scenes from everyday life, as well as the life of Africans and their descendants. Today, we continue to find exemplary models of African heritage in the visual arts in Santiago de Cuba.

Raul Ruiz Miyares is an art critic and specialist in Afro-Cuban culture and religions. He has worked as a researcher at the Fernando Ortiz African Cultural Center, and currently works at the Casa del Caribe in Santiago de Cuba. This event is free and open to the public. The talk will be given in Spanish.

Carnaval Latino's Parade of the Americas

Join us for the 18th annual Carnaval Latino during the weekend of September 30th, 2017.

This celebration during National Hispanic Heritage Month will commence with the vibrant Parade of the Americas (Desfile de las Américas) through New Orleans’ historic French Quarter. The Krewe of Quetzal ‘s fifth annual Desfile de las Américas will feature floats, folkloric groups, and bands celebrating Louisiana’s Hispanic Heritage. The Parade will commence on Saturday, September 30th, at 6:00 pm. For more information on the parade route, visit Carnaval Latino’s official website.

After the parade, festival goers will then enjoy Latin music, art, food and drink, during Carnaval Latino’s festival at Generations Hall in the Warehouse District. Besides an outstanding musical line-up, the festival showcases a sampling of authentic Latin cuisine in the Cantinas area. Children are most welcome during this family-friendly celebration. Carnaval Latino is offering plenty of music and dancing for those who can’t resist the urge to move to the Latin beat. Featured artists include La Makina de Puerto Rico, Rumberos de Cuba, Round Rock Ballet Folkorico, and La Banda Blanca (Honduras).

28th Annual New Orleans Film Festival to Feature Latinx Programming

The 28th Annual New Orleans Film Festival will be held from October 11th to October 19th at the Ace Hotel, New Orleans. Born in a city known for its eclectic and artistic vibrancy, the New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF) has sought out bold and passionate storytellers since 1989. It is the longest-running festival of its kind in the state of Louisiana and one of the largest film festivals in the South. Now in its 28th year, the New Orleans Film Festival has grown into an internationally respected annual event that attracts 20-25k people, 400+ filmmakers, and 240 films.

Olancho
Manuel, a farmer from Olancho, Honduras, seeks fame by making msuci for the region’s drug cartels. When some of his song lyrics get him in trouble, he must make the most difficult decision of his life: continue the quest for fame, or flee.

The Thunder Feast (Truenos de San Juan)
A documentary about the ancient festival of San Juanito in Guanajuato where homemade explosives are part of the revelry, but not everyone in the community is sure this tradition should continue.

Sambá
A documentary about Cisco, a Dominican-born man who returns to the Dominican Republic after doing time in a United State prison. Cisco soon finds that the only way he can make money is getting involved in loosely organized street fighting.

Days of Wholesome Joy
A Cuban narrative short about a woman taking care of her grandmother who has dementia.

Holy Hill
A narrative short story about a nun who works at a school for young boys in the Dominican Republic. Both she and the boys have parallel sexual awakenings.

Camp of the Innocents
A Louisiana-made short documentary about the U.S. interment of Latin American “enemy aliens” during World War II in New Orleans.

Fighting Cuba’s Boxing Ban
A short documentary about female boxing in Cuba, where the Cuban government forbade women from competing in the 2016 summer olympics.

Manuel
A short documentary about an 87-year-old Cuban man who brews and sells potions said to be aphrodisiacs.

Dead Horses
A Catalan animated short film about a child fleeing his home during wartime.

Bells in the Mountains
A Spanish short documentary about a group of cows who migrate seasonally from the town of Ullé through the foothills of the Spanish Pyrenees Mountains.

Elegy
A short narrative film about a girl who cannot process her complicated feelings about the death of her two classmates.

Call for Papers: Association of Academic Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean 2018 Conference

The Association for Academic Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean(AAPLAC) seeks session proposals for its 29th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, February 21-24, 2018, hosted by the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University.

This year’s theme, “Study Abroad: Meeting the Challenges of Cultural Engagement,” includes a variety of paper topics, including:

New Orleans after Katrina: The impact of the growing Hispanic population which came to help with rebuilding and has since stayed on

Interdisciplinary Institutional Content Assessment: How to best track what students are doing overseas and the benefits for our campuses

Global Partnerships through Peer Collaboration: How we can better work with institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean